DUSHANBE, April 29, 2015, Asia-Plus — Turkmenistan”s first telecommunications satellite has been put into orbit.
Associated Press reports SpaceX launched a communications satellite into orbit for Turkmenistan from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on April 27.
The communications satellite — known as TurkmenAlem52E — is reportedly designed to last more than 15 years and will cover Europe, Central Asia and most of Africa. This will be the first national telecommunications satellite for Turkmenistan.
AFP reports that Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov on Tuesday hailed the launch of Turkmenistan”s first telecommunications satellite, saying it showed the country had reached a “cosmic level.”
Calling the satellite launch “a landmark,” Berdymukhamedov pledged it “will be followed by further successes of the country, now already on a cosmic level.”
Berdymukhamedov personally gave permission for blast off, and said the launch marked “permanently neutral Turkmenistan”s entry into the global satellite system.”
“This satellite will boost the quality of broadcasts of national television and radio channels and will create conditions for live TV (and) a high-quality system for the Internet,” he said.
Thales Alenia Space, the French company built the telecoms satellite. It is the first satellite in space to be partially built using 3D printing, according to Thales Group.
